Mama cat behavior w/new kitties

Question
QUESTION: My mama cat just gave birth about 3 weeks ago. She had a litter of 6, two of which were stillborn. It broke my heart. Just today she's taking one kitten and placing it under my bed. I take it out and put it back in the basket and she'll go into the basket, take out another kitten and place that one under the bed. She's also been whining and making cooing/purring noises ALL DAY! Help! I don't know what to do - is this normal behavior? Why, all of a sudden, is she feeling threatened? I'm worried that she's going to place a kitten somewhere where I can't find it...also, it's cold under the bed...please help as soon as possible.

ANSWER: Tracey,

I am guessing that mom is trying to reject her litter for some reason. I would have her and the babies examined as soon as you can because in a situation like this time is of the essence. Without help from you if mom is refusing to take proper care of her babies which includes keeping them warm, fed, clean and comfortable they will die. I would suggest that you prepare to feed the kittens formula specially formulated for orphaned kittens until everyone is examined. If mom rejects her litter it is best to take the kittens from her, place them in a cat carrier or other sturdy box with blankets and towels as well as a heating pad under the towels/blankets set on the lowest setting to make sure that they are all kept warm. I use KMR which is a milk replacer for kittens. My suggestion would be that if you are hand raising multiples you use the premixed cans, however if you are on a budget the powdered formula works just as well and is cheaper, the difference is the time that it takes to get a bottle ready to feed the hungry babies. I don't suggest this lightly, but given that it is multiple kittens being removed from the box and placed away from the litter it might be best to take them from mom for the night, have everyone straight to the vet in the morning and keep everyone fed and warm until the vet has all of the facts. If mom is not allowing the babies to nurse it can make the babies dehydrated and cause blood sugar problems rather quickly in tiny kittens, so if you don't have kitten milk replacer in the house it would be best to find an emergency vet that is open as they will likely have some on hand for sale. Make sure that you feed the kittens with their four paws facing the floor like they would nurse on their mom because if you feed them like a human infant they can end up inhaling formula and dying. You should be aware that mom may refuse to take the little ones back leaving you responsible for their care, but given that she is trying to remove them from where they are warm and safe to a cooler environment I suspect that you will end up hand rearing them anyway. Mom may be choosing to reject her babies due to mastitis (painful infection of the breasts, sometimes the result of milk coming in), mom may also have a uterine or vaginal infection, a deceased kitten in the birth canal, or if she is a young cat she may simply not want to take care of them. I would strongly suggest that when mom's milk dries up you have her spayed so that neither you or her have to go through the heartbreak of kittens being rejected and needing round the clock care. Often there are kitten weaning formulas available to help the babies transition from bottle to lapping their food from a saucer. One of the easiest ways is to offer a good pureed chicken watered down with the weaning formula, that will get them used to the taste of meat and still provide the nutrition they need to transition from nursing kittens to eating solid food. I am sure that you will have many questions over the next several weeks, please keep in touch and contact me with any questions or concerns you might have.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Ali,

Thank you for the wonderful info about how to hand-feed the kittens with their paws on the floor and the options regarding the formula! I feel I didn't explain the situation thoroughly though - my mama cat is still a kitten herself, becoming pregnant from a sibling at only 6 mos. of age (her brother has not been neutered)!  She did the usual "not-wanting-me-to-leave-her-sight" for the first several days and following me around meowing all the live-long day, but for the last couple weeks, she stays with them most of the day, only coming out of the basket to eat and use the potty, and play for a bit, etc. I've noticed when she DOES remove a kitten, she IS nursing it. It's almost as if, because the space in the basket is limited and the kitties fight over nipples, she's taking them out to nurse them separately... Does this make sense or am I wishful thinking?

ANSWER: Tracey,

In my experience the behavior that you are seeing often happens with younger kitties who really are not old enough to be moms yet. When mom separates a kitten it is usually not a good sign, for example if mom is consistantly separating one kitten from the litter and it is always the same one she may be rejecting it or there may be some sort of congenital issue. I am worried that she is moving the kittens about and placing one apart from the others, to me that is a bad sign. Many times I have seen this behavior and without intervention from a human willing to commit to formula feeding and hand rearing these kittens they often die. Sometimes in spite of my best efforts kittens have died that mothers I have fostered have separated from the rest of the litter. I also should mention that if your mom keeps doing this the kittens that she moves will likely be at risk to die from hypothermia (kittens are born with an extremely immature system and can't control their temperature reliably until they are older, which is why kittens sleep in a pile), blood sugar issues (from not getting enough consistant nutrition from mom). There are so many possibilities and given that mom is a young kitten herself she just may not be prepared to deal with the responsibility of full time parenting of this litter. I would strongly suggest that you take mom and babies to the vet for a thorough check up (they won't be able to do much for the kittens), if mom has any health issue it will be found. Mom may simply need help to cope with her babies, but there are other possibilities for what the problem could be including an infection in her mammary glands, a uterine infection, a deceased kitten stuck in her uterus or vagina, she may just be physically and psychologically too immature to deal with the babies. Mom really should be spayed to prevent this happening again. There are so many kittens and cats who are euthanised simply because there are not enough good homes for all of the cats who need them. Mom and babies need to be taken to a vet immediately. If there is nothing wrong with mom's health then I would strongly suggest that you take the kittens and hand raise them. They need to be kept warm, fed kitten formula every 1-3 hours depending on when they cry to be fed, you will have to keep them clean and use a warm, moist cotton ball to stimulate the kittens to pee and poop as they are still to young to do that on their own. If you want the kittens to have the best chance at survival you will want to be really attentive to their weight, how much and how often they eat, whether they seem contented or dissatisfied, squirmy and noisy. If the kittens seem discontented in any way there is probably a problem and the vet should be seen immediately. Make sure that you have cotton balls, clean bottles designed for feeding kittens, brand new syringes from the pharmacy used to give babies medicine in case the kittens won't take the bottle, a scale that measures in grams up to 2 pounds, a heating pad that can be set on low, a thin fleece blanket to be folded to make a nice soft bed....Place the heating pad underneath the fleece blanket on the lowest setting, you should just be able to feel a slight pleasant warmth when you touch the blanket, if it is too hot you risk killing the kittens. After you see the vet (which should be as soon as possible, preferably before the end of business today), you will know if there is any overt health issue with your mommy cat, if there is nothing wrong and she continues to move one kitten away from the safety and warmth of his/her brothers and sisters you will need to step in and take care of the ones that she is doing that to or they will likely die. If mom is able to take care of 2 of her babies you may be able to rotate the babies so that all of them are getting breast milk and formula so that their immune systems are stronger. I hope that this information is helpful. If you need any further suggestions or guidance, please do not hesitate to contact me again.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you Ali!  I will keep all the info in mind. I'll try to get them to a vet today. My biggest concern was the mama cat moving them. It's not always the same kitten and all four seem to be doing great. They're gaining weight, getting big and starting to become playful. They seem very content and are never restless/squirming and only cry when they're picked up too abruptly. You've given me very good advice, for which I'm thankful, and I will help my mama kitty and her babies with the feeding and keeping warm. I'll also take her to the vet for a checkup! Thanks again!

Answer
Tracey,

You are so very welcome, it was my pleasure to try to offer help. I am so glad that you are able to put the advice I gave you to use. You may have questions and concerns over the coming weeks and I will be happy to try to help with anything I can. Please remember to spay and neuter your kitties so that this doesn't become an issue for a second time. Usually neutering the male cat is cheaper than spaying the female so if you are on a budget that is sure to be helpful. Keep in touch, I am happy to provide help where I can. Good luck and enjoy your little ones.